Story perspectives

Oscars Revamp Rules: Human Performances, AI Verification, Director-Only International Feature

5/3/2026

Summary

Academy Sets Rules

The Academy announced new rules for the 99th Oscars on 2026-05-02.
The rules, March 14, 2027, require human-performed, consented performances credited in legal billing for acting, human-authored screenplays, may verify AI use, and allow actors multiple nominations in the same category if each ranks in the top five.
The International Feature Oscar will be awarded to film’s director, qualification by winning awards at Cannes, Berlin, Busan, Venice, Toronto or Sundance.

Summary

Academy Expands Eligibility

The Academy now permits festival winners to qualify for the International Feature Oscar without a national submission.
The Golden Bear winner “Yellow Letters” and Sundance Grand Jury Prize film “Shame and Money” become eligible despite being multi-nation co-productions.
Director Jafar Panahi secures a festival-based Oscar route for his film amid Iranian government opposition.
The Oscar plaque will list only the film and director, so some nominations may display no country.

Summary

Academy Deadlines

The deadline for General Entry, Animated Feature, Best Picture and the RAISE form is Thursday, September 17, 2026.
International Feature Film and Documentary Feature Film deadlines are Wednesday, September 30, 2026, and Thursday, October 15, 2026, respectively.
The deadline for Animated, Documentary and Live Action Short films is Thursday, October 8, 2026.
Original Song and Original Score submissions are due Wednesday, October 14, 2026, and Wednesday, November 4, 2026, respectively.

History

Historical Context

After the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences finally added a Best Animated Feature award in 2001—requiring at least eight qualifying films and first presented to Shrek in 2002—the organization has repeatedly tightened rules, such as the 75 % animation threshold introduced in 2009. The 2026-27 revisions now demand human-written screenplays, AI verification, and let Cannes’ Palme d’Or winner qualify without a national submission.

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Academy Sets Rules

The Academy announced new rules for the 99th Oscars on 2026-05-02.
The rules, March 14, 2027, require human-performed, consented performances credited in legal billing for acting, human-authored screenplays, may verify AI use, and allow actors multiple nominations in the same category if each ranks in the top five.
The International Feature Oscar will be awarded to film’s director, qualification by winning awards at Cannes, Berlin, Busan, Venice, Toronto or Sundance.

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